Gazpacho

A cucumber and tomato soup that is served cold, originating in the south of Spain (Andalucia region). Widely served during the hot summers months. If you have never been to Andalucia in the south of Spain, then try going to the Mojave desert in August. Andalucia feels hotter! Walking through the magnificent streets of Seville at 2 pm in August and as the sole of your shoes melt to become one with the pavement, stop at a cafe and have a cold Gazpacho. It is refreshing and reinvigorates the body. It provides not only nutrients but the liquid that is lost just by breathing during the summer of hellish heat.

Category : Soups & Stews

8 red, ripe tomatoes
2 Cucumber (with the part that attaches it to the plant removed: it is bitter)
2 Anaheim peppers (or any green pepper which is not sweet)
Old, hard bread (my favorite for gazpacho is extra sour dough, but others will do too)
2 Garlic cloves
2 Tbsp Red vinegar
1/3 cup (or tot aste) Olive oil
Salt to taste
Water

As a rule, you want more tomatoes in the gazpacho than anything else. A nice looking gazpacho should have a pretty orange-red color. Therefore, add the ingredients according to this principle. First, cut the vegetables in pieces that your blender can manage. You do not need to peel the cucumber or the tomatoes or remove the seeds from anything. Cut some bread and soak it in water. Add it to the blender. Add the olive oil, salt, vinegar and water. Turn the power on until everything blends "homogeneously". Take a spoonful and taste it. At this point you can decide what is missing, what is in excess, etc. You can experiment with the recipe: some people like the gazpacho very thick, so they add a lot of bread, while some others like it very liquidly, and they add more water instead, or less bread, whatever. Some people get crazy adding garlic, while some others hate it. I prefer gazpacho at room temperature. However, as it is a typical summer dish, it is usually served cold. In some places this is so true that they even throw ice cubes in it when ready to eat. As with many other dishes, when you save gazpacho from one day to the other, it tends to improve in flavor.

Wine Pairing: Albariño or Verdejo